In their preface, purchasing and supply recruitment consultants Iain Gilmour and Ian Billson explain they have tried to avoid writing “another textbook”. Instead, they target executives who want to know more about modern purchasing and what it can and should be doing for their business. This put two questions uppermost in my mind: will a busy executive stay with this, and will they do anything radically different if they do?

The authors adopt a conversational and informative style. While the opening section, on business and related purchasing issues, might seem simplistic to the target audience, the authors soon introduce the supply-side issues and set out their arguments.

It is clearly important that the connection between effective supply-side strategy and business success is reinforced. However, the reader may often struggle to grasp quite where they are in these arguments and what they should do about it. I believe this may have two possible causes.

First, the book sets out the issues in a sequential rather than an integrated fashion. Having set out the strategic landscape, the later chapters on best practice, approaches and activities and skills feel like a list of contents rather than fundamental elements of the business solution. This undersells the importance of purchasing the authors insist on in the preface.

Second, the presentation lacks differentiation, colour and, dare I say it, passion. In general, it consists of paragraphs populated by bullet point lists that are then often repeated. Effective visuals and case studies are few, and where they are used, tend to reinforce an impression of blandness.

As a result, I was left doubting whether a senior executive would progress beyond the introduction to explore the specific purchasing issues set out further on. Nonetheless, the need to engage this audience is vital, the material is generally sound and, with a more finely developed product, perhaps the next edition will really capture their attention.

Martin Webb

PMMS Consulting Group